Wisdom's Keep

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Location: where in SCA terms the branch is located Modern Location: Western Washington University Date Founded: Date the branch was founded Date Dissolved: Date the branch was dissolved
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Formerly called The College of the Unspeakable Name.

• First mention in Thornwold history is " October 22, AS XVIII (1983): Revel and Potluck at the College of the Unspeakable Name, held in the Sasquatch Room, Viking Addition 350. Megan autocrats." although it undoubtedly existed prior.
• Next mention is at a Thornwold shire meeting "January 4th, AS XVIII (1984): Shire meeting attended by Megan, Doug, Ken, Donna, Jared, Robert, Mary, Gina, Caroline, Jerry, Greg, Jack, Jorgen, Jackie, Janeann, Cameron, Ray, and Mikal. Discussed 12th night, Daffodil, Armor locker at WWU, Rattan buy, May tourney at Rock Rings with Potluck following in Sasquatch Room, Demo. Donna: Mistress of Lists, Doug: College Herald, Greg: Marshal. Discussed making college incipient -- need three officers. Name? Use a saint? 1st choice: College of the Unspeakable name. Gerhard and Amanda arrive. They discuss documenting a name. Discuss armoring, fighting, fundraising, Ithra, Eddy’s May 25-27."
• Later mentions include "May 1st, AS XIX (1984). Incipient College of the Unspeakable Name first listed in the Crier. Cameron Cragie, Seneschal." (Cameron later is known as Alexander the Somewhat Less than Sane.) "April Issue of the “Whiner” (a.k.a. the Crier) calls Shittimwoode by the name of “Wittemshoode” and the College of the Unspeakable Name is called “Nspkbl Nm”.
• "January, AS XX, 1986: Joyclyn-Miranda of Alloway becomes Seneschale of Unspeakable Name."
• "July, AS XXI: Acting Unspeakable seneschale: Siobhan O’Sleavens."
• "Between February and May, AS XXI-XXII (1987), the name of the College is changed to Wisdom’s Keep. The Heralds would not allow Unspeakable Name to be registered because of “religious overtones”.
• "May 9th, AS XXII: Unspeakable Naming Tourney II. Rock Rings at WWU. Kiva autocrats.

Unspeakable - more history: Some time ago, in the wee backwater years of the founding of the college (A.S. XIV), a Tudor Baroness of the Northlands, known as Amanda Kendal, refused to speak the name of the Shire (known as Shittimwoode) to the south of her Barony. This was due to some problem with pronunciation, we believe. In any case, to recall this, it seemed appropriate to Guiallm de Vinvert (former Earl Marshall of An Tir) and Viscount Sir Edward Ziffran (peer of the realm and upstart wandering Jew) that they should found the college with the title, “College of the Unspeakable Name”.

Apparently, the Heralds had some difficulty with it, and it was never passed.

The University group has grown and shrunk through the years, and along the way at some tourney, feast, or revel, a contest was held to determine the best story of how the college received its name. [Following] is the tale that we have adopted.

For almost five years we have been and we request that we may be, now and forever,

The College of the Unspeakable Name.

The Legend of the Dragon of Shittimwoode
Master Storyteller: Blaine Bellerud
Writer: Gerta Blackhurst
Calligrapher: Cameron

This is a great story passed down trough generations and brought to our ears by the masters of words in An Tir. This story will never be forgotten, for to this day, its most awesome character lives under foot.

Many, many years ago, in the beautiful, rolling lands between the cities that we know as Lion’s Gate, to the north, and Madrone, to the south, there lived a fierce and mighty dragon. He was, indeed, as fierce as he was mighty. He lived well for thousands of years on the bounty provided by these lands by the ocean.

But gradually, his size increased, and henceforth, his appetite. He roamed east, devouring all creatures in his path. His carefully directed breaths of fire made it impossible for even the fleetest to escape his greedy appetite. And so he continued to grow, until the creatures and vegetation of the wild lands could no longer satisfy him.

Now, people feared for their lives. Tales spread across the land first, of how a village filled with people and its winter stores filled with food become a dragon’s mid-day meal; and later, of how an entire city became as single Remove in the dragon’s breakfast.

At the end of one of the dragon’s huge feasts, he returned home to the lands near the ocean. He lay to rest and dream of his next adventure. Occasionally, puffs of smoke would rise from his nostril as he thought of his next conquest.

But it is to the rest of the story, which you must attend most closely, you who live in and visit the Shire of Shittimwoode.

Tales of this dragon has spread far and wide across the countryside, and a courageous and curious few were drawn to where the beast slept. Even the very best of knights were no match for the huge fierceness of the monster. Their swords would not even penetrate the dragon’s scaly covering. Then a man, stout of body, and curly of hair, with eyes that shone with the knowledge of generations came to visit the dragon during the mighty monster’s period of rest. For a fortnight, the mysterious man walked lightly on the dragon’s back, sprinkling his magic dust and mumbling incantations.

When at last he arrived in the nearest village, his words were listened to by all.

“The dragon has been placed under a sleeping spell.” He told them, “He will remain so, until the end of eternity, as long as his name is never spoken.”

The years passed and dust settled in the cracks of the dragon’s scales. Grasses and trees began growing in the dust. Children played on the slopes of the creature’s body. Eventually a great college was built on one of the hills made by the dragon’s back. And so we know it to be today. But we shall never forget that it is a living dragon on which we make our home. To the east of our college occasionally we see the puffs of smoke rising from his huge nostrils that tell us he is still dreaming of his next conquest.

As a reminder to ourselves and to our children that they must take care never to speak the dragon’s name, we request that we may be, now and forever: